1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of processing brake pads for disc brakes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Disc brakes are commonly utilized in automobiles and manufacturing machinery. Unfortunately, disc brakes are often the source of undesirable and excessive noise which contributes to noise pollution as a whole with harmful effects on our environment.
Many studies have been performed on disc brakes and their operation to determine the cause of noise generation. One such cause has been determined to be a result of warpage of the brake pad during braking operation.
With initial reference to the drawings, FIG. 4 presents an exaggerated side view of a warped brake pad 3 in operation. The conventional brake pad is formed by bonding a lining member 2 to a back plate 1. Ideally, the lining member 2 should have a planar surface for flush engagement with a planar surface of a rotor 4.
In operation, the lining member 2 of the brake pad 3 is forcibly pressed against the surface of the rotor 4. A frictional force between the lining member 2 and the rotor 4 prevents any subsequent rotation until the brake pad 3 is released from the rotor 4. In this manner, activation of a disc brake can decelerate a speeding automobile or secure operation of hazardous machinery during repair operations.
In actuality, however, the lining member 2 is frictionally heated each time the disc brake is activated. The lining member 2 deforms due to its own material characteristics, such that the brake pad 3 is warped into a concave configuration, as demonstrated in FIG. 4. This deformed concave configuration results in at least two detrimental effects. First, the concave configuration of the brake pad only permits the peripheral edge of the lining member 2 to engage the rotor 4. Since it is intended that substantially the entire surface of the lining member 2 be capable of pressing against the surface of the rotor 4 to obtain the prescribed frictional force of the brake, the substantially reduced surface area contact between the lining member 2 and the rotor 4 results in the braking capacity of the disc brake being severely diminished. Likewise, the edge-type contact between the peripheral edge of the lining member 2 and the rotor 4 typically results in the generation of undesirable noise.